Apparel buckle



Dec. 3, 1929. A. H. KERNGOOD APPAREL BUCKLE Filed April 5 1929 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT ALLEN H. KERNGOOD, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR '10 ALMA MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND APPAREL BUCKLE Application filed April 5,

The object of this invention is to provide for the eiiicient attaching of buckles, particularly apparel buckles, so as to prevent endwise and lateral movements thereof, thus insuring the proper location of the set buckle.

Buckles have been secured to an object by means of rivets applied through holes at opposite ends of a cross-bar, the formation of the holes additionally providing against lateral movement.

In the present invention the cross-bar ot the buckle is slotted from one side to the other, the outer ends of the slot being narrower than the intermediate part, and the junctures oi the narrow and wide portions aiiording shoulders against which the shanks of the attaching rivets abut and so serve to limit the lateral movement of the buckle after being set, the outside edges of the buckle being turned down or back, as I will proceed now more fully to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a buckle riveted to an article. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the buckle sewed to an object by stitches applied to notched ends of the cross-bar. Fig. t is a transverse section taken on line ll of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. i

The buckle comprises the sides 1, end-bars 2, and central cross-bar 3, the end-bars and cross-bar being separated by intervening slots 5.

The inner ends of the end-bars are flanged downwardly as at 6 and suitably prepared to aiiord a gripping surface to engage the strap to be held by the buckle, and, as shown in 1, these parts 6 are serrated.

The cross-bar is provided with a slot 7 of diiiferent widths, the greater width being located between the smaller width, and the junction between these two widths forming shoulders 8, which serve as stops for the attaching mediums, such as the eyelets or rivets 9, Fig. 2. These eyelets or rivets not at only serve to attach. the buckle to an object 1929. berial No. 352,872.

10, but they also serve as stops to prevent sidewise movement of the buckle under strains of use, and thus always ensure proper alignment oi the buckle, the part to which it is attached and the adjusting strap, the latter not being shown but being of any Usual or approved construction to be engaged with the buckle by passing it beneath the near end-bar and then over the cross-bar and then under the far end-bar, as usual.

Making the slot in the crossbar oi two dimensions as stated, and utilizing the junctures of the two dimensions of slot as steps against which the setting eyelets or rivets abut, avoids the necessity of forming special holes in the cross-bar and facilitates the application of the buckle to the object on which it is used.

The slot in the cross-bar of uniform widths between abutments 8, and has straight, unbroken and parallel edges first, because it is easier and cheaper to make, by the use of a single, straight edge punch, thus obviating the necessity oi punch having part straight and part curved cutting edges to cut a recessed slot. Such a curved punch does not stand up well in use. It must be filed to get and keep the cutting edges. ltiy construction, therefore, results in considerable economy in the making of the punches and also in the making of the buckles.

Second, the straight-edged slot of uniform width between ends, has the advantage of permitting leeway in setting the buckle fasteners, since such fasteners may be inserted at any points in the slot approximating the narrowed ends or even at a slight slant as its shank enters the buckle and is righted as the setting tool operates to clinch it. Any lateral movement of the buckle due to such setting would be so slight as to be negligible, because sooner or later the abutments would contact with the fastener and prevent undesirable shifting of the buckle.

The cross-bar may also be notched at its opposite ends, as at 11, to receive stitches 12 by which the buckle may be sewed instead of riveted. in place, as shown in Fig. 3. These notches locate the stitches and tend to prevent their spreading, and they also serve to prevent the lateral movement of the buckle,

inasmuch as they are located between the inner edges of thenotches and t .e inner edges of the sides.

' on the under side of the object.

The utilization of the central cross-bar and the attaching means leaves enough free space at the end bars for the introduction of a strap.

The outer edges 13 and 14 respectively of the sides 1 and the end-bars 2 are turned downward, that is to say, toward the back of the buckle, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, for thepurpose of hugging the material tighter and so that the eyelets or rivets 9 may be upset or clinched to the fullest extent. When the buckle is made of sheet meal, in one piece this turning down or back of thefour outer edges of the structure, permits of its hugging the material of the article to which the buckle is attached and thereby the eye ets or rivets used in such attaching may be upset or clinched to the fullest extent. This provision of the turned down or back of the outer edges of the buckle, as at 13 and 14, lends an increase of strength thereto and obviates ready distortion occasioned by bending, as compared with a flat, one-piece structure, and also adds to the finished appearance.

The buckle is designed for use to a large extent on washable garments, and the distortion or bending of the buckle frequently occurs when the garment passes through the wringer or mangle of laundering machinery. The buckle tends to distort when made fiat,

but stands up well when its edges are turned "end-bars, and an intermediate cross-bar separated by slots from the end-bars and itself slotted from one of the sides to the other side,

the said slot being widest between its ends and of unbroken uniform. width and the terminals of the slot next to the sides being narrower than the remainder of the slot and of uniform unbroken width and forming shoulders next to'the wider-portion of the slot against which shoulders buckle fastening mediums abutto hold the buckle against vertical and lateralmovements.

.2. A one-piece buckle, having sides, and end-bars, and a crossbar spaced from the end-barsby slotsand having a two-dimension slot extending from one of the sines to the other side, the ends of said two-dimensionslot nextto said sides being narrower than i the intermediate wider portion of the slot and forming shoulders against which attaching mediums abut to hold the buckle against vertical and longitudinal movements, the sides of the narrower portions being parallel and straight and the sides of the wider portion also being parallel and straight.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this third day of April A. D. 1929. ALLEN H. KERNGOOD.

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